Ad hoc formation and tracking of location-sharing groups

• US 9,369,847 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2012
• Issued: 06/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Borghei, Hooman
• Primary Examiner(s): Pezzlo, John
• Application Number:
  US13/614,978
• Publication Number:
  US 20130005362A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,370 Days
• Field of Search: 370/338, 370/252, 370/254
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/022 with dynamic range variability
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/186 Processing of subscriber group data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer-readable media for forming and tracking a location-sharing group are disclosed. The location-sharing group can be performed ad hoc without the assistance of a central server. A geofence can be defined that encloses the current locations of the participating devices in the location-sharing group. The geographic location of the location-sharing group as a whole can be tracked and provided to the participating devices in the location-sharing group. Group-level location-sharing can be enabled. Departure of a participating device from the location-sharing group can be detected based on the current location and the coverage radius of each device in the location-sharing group. Entry of points of interest into the geofence of the location-sharing group can be detected and notified to the participating devices in the location-sharing group.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

detecting formation of a location-sharing group between two or more mobile devices, wherein the location-sharing group is identified by geographic locations of the two or more mobile devices, wherein detecting formation of the location-sharing group further comprises receiving a group initiation request from a host device, the host device being one of the two or more mobile devices in the location-sharing group, and the group initiation request identifying the location-sharing group to be formed and one or more participating devices that have been invited to join the location-sharing group by the host device;

tracking the geographic location of the location-sharing group as locations of the two or more mobile devices change;

providing the geographic location of the location-sharing group to at least one of the two or more mobile devices in the location-sharing group;

determining a termination of the location-sharing group; and

in response to determining the termination of the location-sharing group, ceasing to track the geographic location of the location-sharing group.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting formation of the location-sharing group further comprises:

subsequent to receiving the group initiation request, receiving a notification from the host device indicating that the location-sharing group has been formed, wherein the notification includes respective consents from the one or more participating devices to join the location-sharing group.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting formation of the location-sharing group further comprises:

subsequent to receiving the group initiation request, receiving from each of the participating devices a respective consent to join the location-sharing group.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the location-sharing group is supported by one or more active network connections between the two or more mobile devices.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the one or more network connections include one or more of a Bluetooth network connection or a WiFi network connection.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein tracking the geographic location of the location-sharing group as locations of the two or more mobile devices change comprises:

monitoring the current geographic locations of the two or more mobile devices;

determining a current boundary of the combined coverage area that encloses the current geographic location of each mobile device by at least the coverage radius of the mobile device; and

determining an updated geographic location for the location-sharing group based on the current boundary.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the location-sharing group is an ad hoc location-sharing group formed directly between the between two or more mobile devices.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable memory storing instructions executable by data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

detecting formation of a location-sharing group between two or more mobile devices, wherein the location-sharing group is identified by geographic locations of the two or more mobile devices, wherein detecting formation of the location-sharing group further comprises receiving a group initiation request from a host device, the host device being one of the two or more mobile devices in the location-sharing group, and the group initiation request identifying the location-sharing group to be formed and one or more participating devices that have been invited to join the location-sharing group by the host device;

tracking the geographic location of the location-sharing group as locations of the two or more mobile devices change;

providing the geographic location of the location-sharing group to at least one of the two or more mobile devices in the location-sharing group;

determining a termination of the location-sharing group; and

in response to determining the termination of the location-sharing group, ceasing to track the geographic location of the location-sharing group.

9. The memory of claim 8, wherein the operations for detecting formation of the location-sharing group further comprises:

subsequent to receiving the group initiation request, receiving a notification from the host device indicating that the location-sharing group has been formed, wherein the notification includes respective consents from the one or more participating devices to join the location-sharing group.

10. The memory of claim 8, wherein the operations for detecting formation of the location-sharing group further comprises:

subsequent to receiving the group initiation request, receiving from each of the participating devices a respective consent to join the location-sharing group.

11. The memory of claim 8, wherein the location-sharing group is supported by one or more active network connections between the two or more mobile devices.

12. The memory of claim 11, wherein the one or more network connections include one or more of a Bluetooth network connection or a WiFi network connection.

13. The memory of claim 8, wherein the operations for tracking the geographic location of the location-sharing group as locations of the two or more mobile devices change comprise:

monitoring the current geographic locations of the two or more mobile devices;

determining a current boundary of the combined coverage area that encloses the current geographic location of each mobile device by at least the coverage radius of the mobile device; and

determining an updated geographic location for the location-sharing group based on the current boundary.

14. The memory of claim 8, wherein the location-sharing group is an ad hoc location-sharing group formed directly between the between two or more mobile devices.

15. A system comprising:

one or more processors;

memory storing instructions executable by the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

detecting formation of a location-sharing group between two or more mobile devices;

defining a geofence around the location-sharing group, the geofence encloses respective current geographic locations of the two or more mobile devices;

providing a geographic coverage of the geofence around the location-sharing group to at least one of the two or more mobile devices in the location-sharing group;

determining a termination of the location-sharing group; and

in response to determining the termination of the location-sharing group, ceasing to track the geographic location of the location-sharing group.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the operations for defining a geofence around the location-sharing group further comprise:

determining the respective current geographic locations of the two or more mobile devices;

determining a respective coverage radius for each of the two or more mobile devices;

determining a boundary of a combined coverage area that encloses the current geographic location of each mobile device by a distance equal to the coverage radius for the mobile device; and

using the boundary of the combined coverage area as the geofence around the location-sharing group.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the operations for determining the respective coverage radius for each of the two or more mobile devices further comprise:

determining a connection type for a network connection presently established between the mobile device and another mobile device in the location-sharing group; and

using a known connectivity range for the connection type as the coverage radius for the mobile device.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the operations for determining the coverage radius for each of the two or more mobile devices further comprise receiving the coverage radius from the mobile device, the coverage radius being a user-specified distance;

using a known connectivity range for the connection type as the coverage radius for the mobile device.